


Wasn’t so bad.

by orphan_account



Series: Wasn’t so bad. [2]
Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Multi, Pete is a bean, a continuation, john is a confused cutie, john is jelly, paul is in love with john
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21807625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Arriving back in Liverpool, Paul tells John about his and Pete’s kiss. Things don’t go as well as he thought it would be.
Relationships: John Lennon/Paul McCartney, Pete Best/Paul McCartney
Series: Wasn’t so bad. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571383
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Wasn’t so bad.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> thanks to fleshdelirium for this idea!!

On their way back, it was foggy. A raggedy, beat up school bus that was not in use anymore had them arrive rather quickly in England. Pete rubbed his cold hands together for desperate friction, body shivering despite the heavy trench coat he was wearing at the moment. Fall weather seemed to have been skipped over into Winter, which wasn't unusual, sometimes that's how the weather is in England.

Paul's teeth were chattering next to Pete, body shaking as he pulled his coat on tighter around his body. "Bloody fucking cold. It's goddamn Fall." He complained, shivering and red with the wind from a broken window across the aisle whipping at their faces. Pete nodded, realizing that this is the first time either of them had said a word since after the night before.

"Should've packed thermals son, your father should be more on guard." Pete said, moving forward to whisk off his coat and throw it over to Paul. "Wrap it around you like a blanket, can't risk John pouring over you because you're ill like a Jewish mother."

Paul was flabbergasted at the statement, and at the fact that Pete was giving up his coat. "I'll be fine, you're the one that's going to get sick!"

“No one would care." Pete simply replied, looking over his shoulder to stare rather fondly at the young lad. "But you? Everyone would care, certainly. So let's not risk you getting ill like I said." Pete said, before sitting back against the cold seat and running his hands against his thighs to prove some source of heat. Times like this he wish he was an animal, or some kind of prehistoric two legged creature with fur to keep warmth in weather like this. Lucky bastards wouldn't have to pay cash for a fucking coat.

Paul scooted closer to Pete, not shaking off the feeling of guilt from having the other man in possible danger of catching pneumonia because he had no coat. So with all said and done, Paul wrapped his arms around Pete's torso which made his body warmth shade over Pete's chills. Pete tensed up, looking at Paul incredulously before releasing a shaking breath. The amount of times of his own self telling his racing mind to calm down was ridiculous.

This is _John's_ boy. Pete had to unfortunately remind himself as the heat of Paul's body warmed him, and how the younger one rested his head against Pete's shoulder was nothing more of a friendly gesture. Besides, the frost bite on the tip of his fingers already prove that he was bound to get sick without any time of warmth so he better appreciate it.

They got off directly in Liverpool, and Pete had nowhere to go at the moment so he originally decided to kick it with Paul. Until Paul had met up with George at the Cavern, sharing hugs and laughing over things Pete couldn't exactly keep up with. John was nowhere to be seen, yet. Maybe he'd pop up sometime later on, hopefully he still wasn't in Germany which would have been bad business, leaving John Lennon alone in Hamburg. Pete shivered at the thought.

Instead, he found himself at his own home. In his room, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about Paul. The kiss they shared, that fucking kiss. No other pair of fucking lips against his made him feel as if he could do anything in the world. There was just one problem though, Paul seems to really love John and if John feels the same way then that would be a hard bargain for Pete. He sighed through his nose, and shielded his eyes with his forearm. Does John really care? While they were there, John was mainly paying attention to that one bloke. What's his name? Ringo? Richard?

A sad smile curled onto his lips, he wouldn't mind getting kicked out of the band in replacement of Ringo. He knew he was a shit drummer, everyone did and it was a factor as of why Paul would give him grimy looks after a certain concert when Pete would just be half-assed with everything. He'd miss Paul though, even though they've only truly talked last night. Other than that, Paul was always company, an energetic charismatic butterfly who'd talk to anyone except Pete and Stuart. Talking to the club owner, there'd be a charming glint in his eyes which would make him getaway with anything. Talking to George Harrison, easily making the younger man laugh at one of his jokes and the chemistry between the two was always an exception.

Talking to John. Pete remembers one night, when someone else was performing and they all just went to get drinks, Paul and John sat at their own table; talking. Paul was explaining a tune that was in his head, oh the famous Lennon-McCartney song discussions. John had his cheek and chin resting against the palm of his hand, creamy brown eyes gazing with intense intimacy, adoration and love at the younger man. Entertainment. Pete noticed the small smile, and soft blush in John's cheeks as he continued to watch Paul make cheesy sound effects that goes with the song in his mind.

Pete wouldn't be surprised if John kissed the lad right then, and there. If anything, he'd clap too.

An evening two days after, when Mimi has surprisingly let the boys relax inside of her home, John came in. Paul's eyes lit up dramatically at the sight of John, a sight he hadn't seen in a couple of days. Everyone expected a cheery greeting, but the way John seethed was too good for Pete to not try and hold in a laugh. With a angered, and murderous look in his usually calm brown eyes John inhaled sharply with his fist clenching, "Oh so this is where you've all bounded off to? Leaving me astray in fucking Germany, and having to hitchhike my arse back into this fucking place to find you all sitting here at the dinner table ready to chow down like bloody ants at a goddamn picnic." John spat, throwing his guitar case down aggressively which could have easily broke the expensive instrument.

Even Mimi flinched at the thud, and she was the toughest out of them all.

John whirled around, and began to storm up the stairs. George exchanged looks with Paul, and Paul did the same with Pete who just snickered silently under his breath.

A little ways later, Paul and Pete took a stroll to the corner store to buy a pack of cigarettes. Paul's face was pale again, obviously in discomfort from the fact that John was angered and it wasn't any regular anger. John was absolutely furious, he never liked being alone in specific places due to his abandonment issues as a child and up to now. Pete eyed Paul as he bit his nails again, eyes wet and wondrous at their surroundings. He was panicking.

"We're going to be fine you know." Pete said, breaking the thick tensed silence surrounding them. Paul looked over at Pete, questioning him with his facial expression instead of his words. "Just give him some time, he's just mad."

•••

There was a beat after intense practicing where the boys went out to go and get drinks. John had managed to save up the cash earned in Hamburg to pay for the whole band, even if he was single handedly mad at them for basically leaving him alone in Hamburg.

"Deported you say?" John asked, gently swaying the cup of alcohol in his hand as he pulled Paul's chair closer to him by his foot. "Now how exactly did that happen Macca? Goody two shoes like you should have stayed out of trouble."

Paul rolled his eyes, blushing nonetheless because it was John Lennon who was finally talking to him. He missed him so much to the point his hands were shaking. "Accidentally set a condom on fire, it was too dark for my liking and you know? Pete had a condom in his pocket so we said what the hell. They had thought that we were trying to burn the bloody building down."

John chuckled, and that special glint of adoration was back again through the haze of seething anger. "You've got arrested after that too, right?" He asked, watching as Paul nodded his head right after that question.

"Me and Pete did yeah." Paul replied, voice becoming soft as he thought about the kiss they shared that night. "Wasn't bad you know, I thought it would be worse. Pete was there though, he isn't as bad as I originally thought he was." John hummed, moving his cup onto the counter as Paul continued; "We um- we talked a bit, I kind of forgot what it was about though."

“Never knew you and Pete could get on." John said, with a smirk on his face. "Especially in jail."

The way John worded that made Paul's heart skip a beat. A blush came across his cheeks as he looked down for a bit, trying to process the thoughts and instincts racing through his head.

Paul itched himself, tempted to tell John about everything. Even though he basically told Pete to not tell anyone, but it'd be a way to confess to John about his tidal wave of feelings that would come over him every time that he came around. The real question is how would he bring that up? Well he decided to put it in action as soon as he got up, and took John's wrist in his hand, basically dragging him outside of the Cavern. John blinked, dragging his feet purposely against the floor as Paul led him outside into the cold air of England. "What is it Macca?" John asked, once they were both outside and alone with one streetlight above them.

Paul exhaled, trying to get himself to relax as he shuffled around a bit. Naivety pulsed through his bloodstream, and his face began to become flushed. "So there was another thing that happened, and I definitely didn't want anyone else to here. Plus, I've been feeling this way for a long time." Paul began, swallowing down huge lumps of nervous gulps.

John watched Paul carefully, his own heart speeding up at the younger's stammered words. Immediately, John grasped at Paul cold hands and held them in his palms affectionately while Paul tried to gather his words correctly. Paul looked down at their hands, and then back at John through his eyelashes which made the older smile in support. "Go on Macca, I'm listening love."

"So I- we- me and Pete had also kissed in jail."

The smile on John's face washed away dangerously, and there was a sudden darkness to his facial features that Paul had never seen before. The younger one furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing how dangerous the situation had became from the way John just stared deadpanned into his soul. "Johnny? There wasn't anything behind it you know. We just tried it out. I basically told him about how I felt about you. How we felt. Or-" Paul was cut off by how unmoved John seemed to be, and soon enough the determination was replaced by sheer fear.

"John, I swear there was nothing behind it."

John finally blinked his eyes after a full minute of not doing it. He pulled his hands off of Paul's and stepped away from him, he felt nauseated with jealousy, a sudden rush of possessiveness but also a fine line of hurt and betrayal. Paul was quick to grabbing back onto John's jacket sleeve as the older whirled around, ready to go back inside of the Cavern possibly to do something outrageously fatal to Pete. "John wait! Let me at least explain!"

John shoved Paul away from him, "Fuck off of me you bloody poof!" He spat, voice cracking in mid sentence as his face became flushed which signaled that he would withdraw tears in a few moments.

Paul was taken back by the slur, suddenly at a loss with the world. John stared at Paul for a few seconds, before opening the door to the Cavern and storming inside with inconsolable rage flooding his nervous system. At the moment, Paul asked himself why he thought it would be a good idea to tell John out of all people that he and Pete bloody kissed.

A week afterwards, there was this weird tension going on. Ringo was around more often, when Pete started getting ill time from time, he'd always walk in the Cavern to see the boys talking with Ringo. Pete hadn't mind the man, he was a nice chap, big nose, and friendly smile to anyone; friend or foe. John had seemed more distant than he usually was, whenever George would come up to him, mind you George hadn't done anything wrong yet, John would wave him off.

“The band’s over. He’s so pissed at us Pete, I’ve never seen him like this before.” Paul said to him one day, they were seated at the back of a club Paul and Michael attended to. It was a coincidence that Pete was also there too, trying to get his mind off of Paul and that wretched kiss. Pete looked over the boy, stubbing out his cigarette while exhaling and looking ahead.

”Then so be it.” He said, and shook his head. “It’s his choice if he wants to end the band because of this. Doesn’t make him any less of a jealous person.” 

“I don’t want the band to end.” Paul said, his large eyes holding vast emotions that a person so young should not be. 

“I know.” Pete said, wrapping an arm around the lad’s shoulder and hugging him close. Protectively. Paul huffed and slumped his shoulders, leaning into Pete’s warmth while he stared ahead in sorrow of losing his love and best mate. “I doubt that it will though, John needs this band as much as you need him. Or might I say, he needs you.” Pete said, squeezing Paul’s shoulder in comfort and exhaling at the sigh of relief that he earned from the other man. 

Pete fought off the feelings of affection swarming over him as him and Paul basically cuddled. Paul was his friend now, and Pete was going to leave it at that.

"Anyone noticed that Stuart never came back?" George asked, sitting down at the round table everyone was eating at one evening at Paul's home. "The bloke ran off with that Astrid bird and never came back."

Paul thought over it for a minute, and Pete watched amused as a smile slowly forming on his face. "Isn't that a good thing?" He asked, earning a laugh from George who already knew from firsthand that Paul really hated Stuart. 

John kissed his teeth, and let his fork hit the plate obnoxiously once he dropped it. "Probably couldn't stand being around a bunch of poofs. I know I can't."

George glowered over at John, "What’s wrong with you John? You've been a hag all week."

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

_Another five silent, tension filled days passed by —_

Pete, John and Paul were on a bus ride to downtown Liverpool. John was in the middle, Pete was in the window seat and Paul was at the edge of the seat. The silence between the three was powerful, Paul was biting his nails and Pete was tapping his feet while John stared straight ahead at the seat in front of them. Pete lit up a cigarette, unable to keep himself still due to all this electrical energy pulling through his veins at the fact Paul and John were sitting next to him. After taking a drag, Pete relaxed and exhaled the smoke while staring lucidly out of the window. 

Maybe things weren't as bad as they were before. John must have cooled down enough to the point where he could sit in the middle of the two. Pete glanced over quickly at Paul who was staring over at him the whole time, eyes sparkling in desperation for some kind of help to be given. Pete had slowly nodded and cleared his throat, then pulled out another cigarette, hesitantly offering it to John. John stared at it for a few seconds, before taking it into his fingers putting it in between his lips.

Paul immediately tag teamed, whipping out a lighter and flicking it on. To his and Pete's surprise, John leaned into Paul and lit the cigarette off of the lighter before pulling away. Paul held back a smile from John's cooperation, telling himself that a simple cigarette lighting doesn't mean that it was all rainbows and sunshine.

‘'I'm sorry." Pete said, not even knowing how strained his voice came out. After a few seconds of silence, and no one doing anything Pete continued. "Listen John, the kiss didn't mean anything. Basically I asked for it to happen, and we did it that's all."

John laughed bitterly, "I could careless."

Paul thought it was time to come out of the shadows and try his second try in explaining. "I know you do John, you haven't even taken in the fact that I was confessing to you. Maybe me and Pete have no valid excuse of the kiss, but it doesn't change the way I feel about you." Paul said, boldly turning to face John and grabbing onto the seat in front of him to keep himself from falling from the way the bus swayed. "I love you John, and I wanted my first kiss to be with you. In a way, me kissing Pete confirmed that."

Pete winced at the bold statement and it also proved that he was the only that felt a certain away after the kiss. Inhaling his cigarettes again he opted to turn away from the two as they worked out the problem going on. John stared at Paul, embracing the beautiful face staring determined at him before letting himself finally release a breath. "Did you like it?" John asked, his voice softening.

Paul nodded, feeling as if he told the truth everything would end up better. As soon as Paul's head nodded off, the same dark facade flashed over John's face and it seemed as if the man was about to get up. Paul forced him back down on the seat, and made John face him by one hand on his cheek. "But it still hadn't mean anything. If it did then- then me and Pete would have all out shagged. Or something- I don't know but we wouldn't be here right now."

John's vulnerability showed, "I wanted to be your first kiss." He said, voice resembling a tone of a small scared child who just got rejected. "I just- why him but not me Paul?"

"Well I kind of asked him first, it's not like he requested it or something." Pete said, saving Paul quickly from that question from such a vulnerable John. "I just wanted to do it, see if the queer would hit me too I guess. It's a bad excuse."

John stared at Pete for a minute, and so did Paul.

•••

John jolted awake at the sound of a hard rock hitting his window, hard enough for it to almost break open. Mimi would have his head if another rock breaks through the window. John whipped the blankets off of his body, and he slowly trekked over towards the window and opened it. The lad looked down, seeing Paul's big eyes staring up at him with a bolder in his hands which had seemed really to catapult through his window. "Finally, I thought you were dead in there."

"What are you doing here Paul?" John asked tiredly, looking at his door to make sure Mimi's footsteps wasn't clambering up towards his room. "My aren't the tables turned this time." He mumbled afterwards, referring to every time he would throw rocks at Paul's window so he could sleep over.

"Can I come in? It's cold out here and plus I want to give you something."

Soon enough, John was downstairs in a robe and opened the door up for Paul to walk inside. "Now what?" He asked, voice coming out more firm than he wanted it to. Paul walked inside, and threw his arms around John's neck bringing him forward into an abrupt kiss. John tensed when there lips crashed against each other's perfectly, and at the fact that Paul was the one doing it. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, before Paul fearfully pulled away and stared at John expectantly. It didn't matter if he was about to be met up with a slap, or a shove, or maybe even a punch. The fact that he got to kiss John was enough.

John stepped forward slowly, causing Paul to peel back a bit. There was a moment of silence, until John’s hand wandered through Paul’s dark brown hair when he was in a close proximity. Paul looked into John’s eyes, never getting enough of the chocolate brown colures sparkling in his eyes. John pulled Paul forward, their lips meeting again but this time much more affectionately. John’s hands threaded through Paul’s hair as Paul’s arms wrapped around the other’s neck again. Soon enough their tongues swirled around together, and their bodies were pressed closely together. After a few seconds of snogging, both of them pulled away at the same time. 

“Your lips are fucking magical son.” John said breathlessly, causing Paul to giggle under his breath as he felt warm all over. “Now I see why Pete wanted to kiss you.” 

“Shut up..so how was it?” Paul asked, looking at John through his thick eyelashes. 

"Wasn't so bad."


End file.
